


Along the Road of Life

by hydrangea



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Future Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-20
Updated: 2011-12-20
Packaged: 2017-10-27 15:09:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/297176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hydrangea/pseuds/hydrangea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which there's fish in the lake and chestnuts in the market but no reasonable explanations forthcoming.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Along the Road of Life

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nonplussed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nonplussed/gifts).



> Thanks to mikkeneko for the beta!

Killua crawled onto the shore and spit out a mouthful of brackish water. He coughed once, twice, seaweed dropping from his hair as he shuddered. His arms were still caked with blood up to his elbows and now sand clung there as well. The effect, Killua suspected, was not unlike that of a mollusc growing a new shell.

"Gon," he called.

There was a splash behind him. A fish, then another, landed further onto land, wriggling helplessly.

"Yes?" Gon called back.

Killua pushed himself to his knees. "First off: I'm never hunting a sea creature again. Second: do you really think I want to eat fish now?"

"But it's tasty!" Killua didn't have to look at Gon to know he was grinning. "And your dried meat probably isn't too dried right now."

Probably not, Killua reflected, but it still sounded more appetizing. He felt something dribble down his stomach and tugged up his shirt to look. It was grey gunk, speckled with green and pink. He ran his fingers through it. Fish guts, he realized.

Killua pulled off his shirt, then the rest of his clothes, and waded back into the lake with the bundle he'd made of his clothing. He stopped when the water reached his hips and scrubbed the clothes with sand until they were reasonably clean. He tossed them towards shallow water, then dove beneath the surface to make sure he himself was clean.

By the time Killua returned to shore, Gon had started up a fire. There were fish spitted and in the process of getting grilled along with edible roots Gon must've dug up. Gon, who was watching Killua walk up the shore, had a self-satisfied grin and was comfortably dry and barefoot. His eyes seemed stuck somewhere beneath Killua's shoulders, and Killua grinned. "Like what you see?"

"Yep!" Gon leaned back on his elbows, eyes in happy halfmoons. "I'm drying my clothes over there," he said and motioned towards a thicket of thorny bushes. He made an apologetic face. "I was going to warn you about the gunk thing, but then I realized you can't speak fish."

Killua threw his clothes over the same bushes and returned to flop down next to Gon. "It's too many bubbles," he said. "And I was a bit busy."

"You were really cool." Gon gave him a thumbs-up. "I didn't know you could do that under water."

Killua flicked out his nails, inspecting them. "I didn't either."

They grinned at each other for a moment, then Killua leaned over Gon to poke at the fish. "Will those be finished soon?"

"Yes." Gon sat up and knocked Killua to his back. Killua allowed it and settled his hands on Gon's hips as he knelt over Killua, hands on each side of Killua's head. "We have time for other stuff though, if you want."

Killua let him hope for a few moments, then shoved him off. "Not as long as you smell like that."

Gon made a hurt face. "I don't smell bad."

"You smell like fish." Killua poked him in the chest. Gon had taken off his outer layers, but he still wore his undershirt. "Get rid of that, and I'll consider it."

By the time Gon had trudged back up from the lake, Killua was already munching on his fish.

"Meanie," Gon told him, then took his own fish. "I'm gonna expect you to pay up later."

"We'll see." Killua handed Gon the other fish. "Eat. I want to get our payment and get out of here before I start growing gills."

Gon made a face. "Then you would have to live here in the lake. I'm not sure the soil here is good for building a house."

Killua rolled his eyes. "Just eat."

***

"Gon," Killua asked some time later as they walked away with heavy purses and a satisfied customer, "why do you like fish so much anyway?"

Gon stopped by a market stand and purchased a package of roasted chestnuts. He held it out to Killua as they continued. Killua took one, throwing it from hand to hand before it went into his mouth. "I don't like fish," Gon said after a moment. "I like fishing."

The chestnut was still too hot to be eaten comfortably, so Killua moved it around in his mouth until he could comfortably chew. Gon, in the meantime, had managed to stuff himself with five times as many while Killua worked on his first.

"You keep saying you like fish," Killua said when he'd swallowed.

"I like to wait for the fish to take the bait, and then I like to eat it when I've caught it." Gon threw Killua another chestnut. Thankfully, it was lukewarm this time, and Killua popped it into his mouth without hesitation. "That's why I say I like fishing."

"It doesn't really make sense," Killua pointed out.

Gon started to say something, mouth stuffed with chestnuts. Killua poked him in the cheek, and Gon ceased until he'd chewed and swallowed. "Saying I like fish would be like saying you like hearts," Gon explained then, as if that would make more sense.

"But what I like isn't specifically the killing of people," Killua pointed out. "It's my job; I'm good at it and what I enjoy is being good at it"

"That's the same thing!"

Killua shook his head, stuck his hand into the bag and shoved a handful of nuts into Gon's mouth. "You made more sense with your mouth full."

Gon glared and chewed the nuts. Killua grinned and ducked in to peck a kiss on his pouting mouth. When Gon faked a kick in Killua's direction, Killua danced away and knitted his hands behind his head. "Where are we going next?" he asked Gon. "You said you had something in mind."

Gon swallowed the remaining nuts and caught up. "Someone said that there's a Hunter to the north that calls himself Ging." He eyed Killua. "I thought we might go check it out."

Killua watched the ground as they walked. Every time they caught a rumor about Gon's dad, they followed it, and every time he worried this would be the time they would have to part. "Sounds good," he said finally.

Gon threw an arm around Killua's middle. "Thanks, Killua!" He leaned in close, mouth touching Killua's ear. "And stop worrying."

Killua shook his head and dropped his arm so he could grab Gon's hand. "How long will it take to get there?" he asked as they turned onto the main road and left the town.

"That's just it," Gon said, "it'll take a few hours if we manage to catch the boat before it leaves. If we don't, the next one won't depart for two days."

"We could always swim," Killua said. "Or build a boat."

"But I like Killua without gills!" Killua gave Gon a flat look. Gon grinned. "Come on! I bet I'll beat you to the boat!"

Gon set off. Killua grinned and took off after him. He could totally overtake Gon before they reached the boat, no matter what Gon persisted in saying. "You're on!"


End file.
